The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-05-04
MAKING MoNsTRos1rrEs.
The Interesting Business Carried on I
Professor Sheard, of London.

The Interesting Business Carried on by
Professor Sheard, of London.
The law that in the long run supply is
equal to the demand is beautifully exempli-
fed in the show business. There isno circus
so small or so poorly equipped but what it
can have its man-eating booolapus or its ter
rible gyascutus, and the supply of Fiji mer-
maids, two-headed girls, horned boys, whis-
kered women and other monstrosities for
dime museums is unfailing. A recent article
in the Pail Natl Gazette makes an interesting
revelation of the secrets of the show business.
There is in London Professor Sheard, whose
business it is to manufacture artificial mon
strosities and curiosities of every description,
and he holds himself ready at any time to
initiate any curiosity already in existence or
to carry out any idea that customer may
have.
At the time of the visit of London re-
porter the professor was finishing off what
appeared to be the mummy of negro
child rejoicing in the possession of two heads
and four arms His books enumerate the
following monstrosities as having been made
by him for the use OF various museums: "A
woman's skull with horns growing out of the
forehead; baby with wings; baby with
two faces, but with only one head; child
half monkey; an infant with an eye in
the centre of the forehead, and child
possessing one body with two perfectly
formed heads. For such an attractive curl
osity as the two-headed negro baby the pro-
fessor charges 500. One of the most eccen-
trio curiosities which the professor remem-
bers having made was a sheep with
perfectly formed human arm growing from
its shoulder. Although the professor remon-
Sfrafn0 with tha qhoUTuan w Al uava him ha
order, telling him that it was rather too far
fetched monstrosity even for the tastes of
visitors to cheap museums, the man insisted
upon having his armed sheep, and it is still
one of the most attractive features of his
show. Another curiosity which has had a
great run is the Burmese hairy man. The
idea for this was taken from photograph of
an extraordinary hairy man who was actually
found in Burmah, yet the artificial counter
felt outdoes the reality in many startling
ways. These products of manufacturing
skill and ingenuity are made of papier mache,
leather and very frequently with additions
of genuine animal hides, whose hair OF. wool
is long enough to hide any joint or seam.
One of the odd features of this business is
that steady demand for curiosities comes
from dealers in Indian and Chinese goods,
who export them to the East and from thence
dispatch them to various purchasers, who
are of course under the impression that they
are acquiring genuine Orleilal HlonsbrOSitleS.
The professor has had the privilege of seeing
exhibited curiosities recently arrived from
China or Japan which four or five months
before he had put the last touches upon at
his workshop in the suburbs of London.
To the question whether or not he had ever
supplied monstrosties to Barnum, Fore
paugh and other managers of large shows,
the professor prudently replied that as rule
he did not know the destination of his
wares, that he had many American orders
but that they came through English agents.